Ognyanovo Airfield

Military and strategic changes. As a reserve/dispersal airfield for the Bulgarian Air Force, it became redundant following the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. The subsequent restructuring and downsizing of the Bulgarian military, coupled with the high cost of maintaining a network of non-essential reserve bases, led to its deactivation and eventual abandonment.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced dereliction. Satellite imagery and local reports confirm that the concrete runway, while largely intact, is cracked, weathered, and has vegetation growing through it. The support buildings, shelters, and hangars are in ruins. The site is not maintained and has no official use. It is reportedly used for unauthorized activities, including illegal car racing, drifting, and as an informal waste dumping ground. The property was transferred from the Ministry of Defence and has been subject to several unsuccessful privatization and sale attempts over the years.

Ognyanovo Airfield was a strategic military asset for the Bulgarian Air Force during the Cold War era. It functioned as a 'Zapasno letishte' (Reserve Airfield) or dispersal base. Its primary purpose was to increase the survivability of air assets in the event of a preemptive strike on main operational air bases. In a conflict scenario, fighter aircraft, likely MiG-21 and MiG-23 jets from primary bases such as Dobroslavtsi or Balchik, would have been relocated to Ognyanovo. The airfield was equipped with a concrete runway, taxiways, and basic infrastructure to support temporary combat operations but did not permanently host active flying squadrons.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Ognyanovo Airfield for any form of aviation. The extensive degradation of the runway and infrastructure would require a prohibitive level of investment to restore. Given its remote location and the existence of other operational airfields in the region, redevelopment for general or commercial aviation is considered highly unlikely. The most plausible future for the site, if any, would be non-aviation related, such as conversion into a solar power plant or an industrial park, but no such projects have been publicly announced.